Fixing A Hole: The Beatles' Imaginary Post-1970 Albums: Part 15
Based on the works of Mark Feldman. 'Part 15: ''Coming Home (2011) Let's face it, this series is no longer trying to be realistic but a place were we combind solo Beatles songs (as well as Julian, Sean, and, in this installment, Dhani, John and George's children) onto an album every 5 years or so. However, this break will be a little longer of usual because of the death of George. If you didn't read the series, here's a refresher: George is still alive in 2008 when they go on a tour, called the "Memory Tour." (I changed the name of the tour since, in this other parallel universe, the Beatles still intent to stay together after 2008. However, a few months after the final concert at Wembley Stadium, George has a heart attack. He lays in critical condition until he dies on April 19, 2009. The Beatles (or the surviving Beatles in this case) decide to go on hiatus and record their own solo albums. Ringo records Liverpool 8, Paul records Kisses on the Bottom, and Julian records numerous demos for his upcoming album Everything Changes. Sean decides to form his own group and leave the band to form his own band with Kemp Muhl. Then, in 2011, they decide to reform and start a new group called "the Ladders," a group conceived by John Lennon when he was still alive. We all know that Paul and Ringo would have called it quits after John's death, not to mentions George's, but let's compare this to Queen or Guns N' Roses. In 1991, Queen frontman Freddie Mercury died and in 1997, John Deacon left the band. However, after that, Freddie and Deacon have been replaced with people like Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert, and Guns N' Roses nowadays is pretty much just Axl Rose and His Band. Not saying Paul can nail those high notes like Freddie, and we all know Adam doesn't do it at all, or that any of the post-Slah guitarists can even fight against Slash in a guitar battle because Slash would obviously win, but if that can happen, who says that the Beatles couldn't do an Axl Rose? Paul and Ringo. Darn! Okay, lets just imagine that they did stay together. Who would replace George? People who came to mind included Eric Clapton, Denny Laine, and Jeff Lynne, but in the end, the only person who could replace George is Dhani. Some may say "he never made any solo music, you idiot!" Well, obviously you haven't heard of thenewno2! Thenewno2 is a band which is headed by Dhani and is kind of like the Plastic Ono Band or Wings, meaning that everybody eventually leaves and gets replaced except for the main members. In the Plastic Ono Band's case, it was John and Yoko, in Wings, it was Paul, Linda, and Denny Laine, and in thenweno2, it is Dhani and Oliver Hecks. "Get On With It!" crys all the Monty Pythonian's. The point is that they start to record under the Ladder's title to make a Beatles album. It was released on April 15, 2011, 2 Years after George's death. Sean rejoins halfway through the sessions and everythings ready to be released. '''Side One: (Released specifically with sides in the UK) #(I Want To) Come Home (McCartney) - 3:34 #Lookin 4 Luv (Lennon/Vettese) - 4:12 #Think About You (Starkey/Hudson/Burr/Dudas) - 3:40 #Choose What You're Watching (Harrison/Hecks) - 3:15 #Sing The Changes (McCartney) - 3:44 #Yomp (Harrison/Hecks) - 3:33 Side Two: #Hold On (Lennon/Darling) - 4:53 #My Valentine (McCartney) - 3:14 #Crazy Tuesday (Harrison/Hecks) - 3:52 #Friendly Fire (Lennon) - 5:03 #Walk With You (Starkey/Parks) - 4:42 This album, even though charting very well, is one of the lowest rated Beatles albums of all time, even though having a massive variety of styles. Rolling Stones said "it has the emotion and motion that a Beatles record should have but it changes too much for one to get used to. Side one only has a few ballads and side two, other than a Dhani rocker, has no rockers. a roller coaster ride of an album." Allmusic, however, gives the album 5 stars for triggering the inner-most emotions after an incident like Harrison's death. However, they decide that Walk With You is not a strong enough finale, even though having an All Things Must Pass feel. Singles Sing The Changes/Walk With You ~ Side A: Number 9 - Side B: Number 31 Crazy Tuesday/Friendly Fire (Double A-Side) ~ Number 2 (kept out of the #1 spot by Adele's Rolling In the Deep, much to the discust of Beatles fans across America) Save Us (see next album!)/Hold On ~ Side A: Number 4 - Side B: Number 15 Next time, will the Beatles to make a five star-universal album again like'' Imagine, Band On The Run, Tug Of Peace, Fab, and Memory Full''? Lets see!